Former tennis player James Blake was thrown to the ground and handcuffed while being arrested by a plainclothes officer in Manhattan on Wednesday, and we now have video of the incident which shows just how brutal the ordeal was.
It was a case of mistaken identity, and the officer believed that Blake was a suspect in a fraud case, which he wasn’t.
Blake was minding his own business as he waited for a ride to a U.S. Open event, and that’s when this happened.
The disturbing video shows Blake standing outside the Grand Hyatt Hotel when the officer approached him. He then grabbed Blake and wrestled him to the ground to handcuff the former tennis player.
It’s hard to say if race played a factor in this incident, but it’s clear that it could have been handled in a more civil manner. Blake was never questioned by the officer, who instead elected to use physical force before attempting to identify who Blake was.
